Howard backstopped Manchester United when Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford in 2003.

"The moment he stepped in the door he had skills I'd never seen before," Howard continued. "He's the hardest-working player I've ever been around. His work ethic is incredible. But if you pay too much attention, someone else will beat us."

That would, no doubt, ruin the day for the tens of thousands of U.S. supporters who are expected to cram into Arena Amazonia. FIFA announced pre-tournament that it has distributed close to 200,000 tickets to U.S. fans traveling to the tournament.

During its 2-1 win over Ghana in Natal, the U.S. was essentially playing in front of home support.

"We have to deal with our feelings, our strategy, our organization," Bento said when reminded of the advantage U.S. supporters gave their team in Natal. "Our opponents are aggressive and intense players. The fact they can have a draw, let's see how they start playing."

That was before the chaos produced by Saturday's Germany-Ghana result.

While the U.S. will progress with consecutive draws, needing a result against Germany won't sit easy. It's the reason Klinsmann was adamant about taking an intermission here Saturday to take in the rest of group proceedings.

"We have to have a team that is sure of itself and will control all of the situations of the game," Bento said.

Including the weather, which here in the Amazon can be quite hellish -- something the U.S. thinks it's better prepared for.

"We are aware of the conditions," Klinsmann finished. "We are prepared for the climate. We have similar climates in CONCACAF."

Like the U.S., Kaela Porter, a 43-year-old from Boston, has been to every World Cup since 1998.

She's also one of the tens of thousands of Yankee Doodle Dandies who will cram into Arena Amazonia in Manaus for Sunday's game against Portugal.

"This is the first year I haven't had to explain to people what the World Cup is," Porter said, acknowledging that each World Cup she has been to has its own flavour. "In previous years, people wondered why I came."

First, it was France 1998. Then South Korea/Japan.

After that, she made her way to Germany, followed by South Africa.

She's been everywhere, man.

Porter is planning on heading to Russia in 2018, too, as well as Qatar 2022, if the tournament remains in the Middle East.

"I don't think it will be there," Porter told me. "It's the size of Connecticut. It's a dumb, dumb choice."

As a self-employed pharmacokineticist -- someone who studies a drug's affect on the body -- she has time to tour the globe.

Naturally, the conversation shifts to medicine.

"There are so many undiscovered cures here in the rainforest," she said.

"Is there a cure for (injured U.S. forward) Jozy Altidore's hamstring?" I asked.